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Richard Falkenrath is Shelby Cullom and Kathryn W. Davis adjunct senior fellow for counterterrorism and homeland security at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is also chief security officer at Bridgewater Associates, an investment manager, where he is responsible for leading implementation of cyber, physical, and staff security strategy.From 2010 to 2014, Falkenrath served as principal of the Chertoff Group, LLC, a security consultancy, advising clients on managing operational and information security risk, and was also a contributing editor to Bloomberg TV, where he commented several times per week on national security, foreign policy, and technology issues.

From 2006 to 2010, Falkenrath served as the New York City Police Department's deputy commissioner for counterterrorism, where he strengthened the city's overall effort to prevent, prepare for, and respond to terrorist attacks. From 2001 to 2004, he held several leadership positions within the White House advising the president and his senior team, including director for proliferation strategy in the National Security Council. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Falkenrath was named special assistant to the president and senior director for policy and plans in the Office of Homeland Security. In January 2003, he was promoted to deputy assistant to the president and deputy homeland security adviser. During his career, he has also worked at Harvard Kennedy School. Falkenrath is a summa cum laude graduate of Occidental College and holds a PhD from the department of war studies at King's College London, where he was a British Marshall scholar.

Featured Publications

Richard A. Falkenrath discusses how the modern American police department must balance its information technology needs--including cloud computing services--against the unique legal framework within which it operates.

Richard A. Falkenrath says that while the recent decision by the United Arab Emirates to suspend BlackBerry services may have been opposed by business travelers, law enforcement officers and intelligence officers viewed the decision with approval and a bit of envy.

Cyber weapons are different from conventional weapons in that their effects do not directly manifest themselves in the "real world." There are three broad categories of potential effects of cyberattacks: personal, economic, and physical.

In what may be the clearest picture of Iran's nuclear program to date, Iran: The Nuclear Challenge maps the objectives, tools, and strategies for dealing with one of the most vexing issues facing the United States and global community today.

Richard A. Falkenrath says changes to national privacy law are essential to protect personal privacy in the age of pervasive social media and cloud computing--and Google's new privacy policy points even more firmly to the need for a right to be forgotten.

Richard A. Falkenrath discusses how the modern American police department must balance its information technology needs--including cloud computing services--against the unique legal framework within which it operates.

U.S. homeland security is unquestionably safer a decade after 9/11 and will remain so if the country pursues a robust, yet proportional, counterterrorism effort abroad, writes CFR's Richard Falkenrath.

Richard A. Falkenrath says that while the recent decision by the United Arab Emirates to suspend BlackBerry services may have been opposed by business travelers, law enforcement officers and intelligence officers viewed the decision with approval and a bit of envy.

Press/Panels

With state-of-the art surveillance cameras, a far larger police force, and a great track record of stopping terrorist plots before they go operational, the New York Police Department would have been well positioned to thwart the Boston tragedy, argues former NYPD Deputy Commissioner for Counterterrorism Richard Falkenrath.

Richard Falkenrath appears on Bloomberg Television's "Market Makers" to speak about protests that erupted in China and Hong Kong as Japanese activists landed on an island in the East China Sea claimed by both countries.

Richard Falkenrathtalks appears on Bloomberg Televison's "Inside Track" to talk about an agreement by Iran and world powers to hold a new round of talks about the Persian Gulf nation's nuclear program next month after failing to bridge differences during two days of negotiations in Baghdad.

Richard Falkenrath appears on Bloomberg Television's "Inside Track" to talk about the likelihood of an Israeli military strike against Iranian nuclear sites and how that would precipitate direct U.S. military conflict with Iran.

Richard Falkenrath appears on Bloomberg Television's "Street Smart" to talk about about increased New York police patrols at Deutsche Bank AG locations in the city after the bank received an explosive device at its offices in Germany.

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Featured Press

Richard Falkenrath appears on Bloomberg Television's "Market Makers" to speak about protests that erupted in China and Hong Kong as Japanese activists landed on an island in the East China Sea claimed by both countries.

With state-of-the art surveillance cameras, a far larger police force, and a great track record of stopping terrorist plots before they go operational, the New York Police Department would have been well positioned to thwart the Boston tragedy, argues former NYPD Deputy Commissioner for Counterterrorism Richard Falkenrath.

Richard Falkenrathtalks appears on Bloomberg Televison's "Inside Track" to talk about an agreement by Iran and world powers to hold a new round of talks about the Persian Gulf nation's nuclear program next month after failing to bridge differences during two days of negotiations in Baghdad.